So I've given myself two hours to consider this week's word prompt.The word is Fear. You can find the prompt on Friday's on Kate's blog. Rules are unedited writing for five minutes on the word prompt. Link up. Encourage the person who went on before you. :)

Fear can mean different things to different people. It can be an impetus to spur people on.. cause they have the attitude of "I am NOT going to let fear stop me". Or it can be what stops people right in their tracks.

The problem is figuring out which is the proper response to the fear you feel.

Should you stop in your tracks and beat it out of there? For instance, if you are in a place where you are being physically intimidated by large scary people... beating it out of there might be a really good move. :) If you are on safari and have a rhino charging at you.. Running away a good idea right?

But what if it's the more subtle things like... sharing your faith (with the neighbour you are trying hard to get along with), being honest when it's easier to lie (yeah, that's a great haircut), giving details about a personal struggle in your life that you know will help someone in their struggle, but fear of being too vulnerable can put a dampener on that.

Fear can motivate us to act. BUT often it just simply stops us.

In raising my boy child I have learned that when it comes to doing something new, fear often stops him. He is learning that trusting his folks to see him through is not a bad thing to do, it's still is hard, but positive outcomes are helping him.

God does that for us to.When we are honest, when we are vulnerable, when we try to share our faith. God supports us in that and sees us through those small steps so that we can make bigger steps right? Just as I help my boy, so my God is helping me.

And that is a good thing. It's a reasoned response to fear. That's what I want to do you know... have the reasoned response that says YES, this is scary and YES, I can talk to God about it, and YES... he will see me through one way or the other. And it will be okay.